Winning Entries from the Competition Will Be Displayed at Milan Design Week 2014

August 01, 2013

August 1, 2013 —Following the strong response with applicants from more than 72 countries for the first Lexus Design Award, Lexus is looking for a new wave of next-generation innovators to benefit from the second Lexus Design Award, an international design competition.

The Lexus Design Award provides an opportunity for the winners to showcase their works while receiving feedback from world-renowned design professionals. Additionally, two winners will work with a famous designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs. Through this initiative, Lexus hopes to encourage the next generation of creators.

Lexus designers and engineers spend a great deal of time thinking about the serious matter of how to improve our designs and their impact on the world. It is also important that what Lexus builds is exhilarating for our customers. Applying curiosity in a creative manner can result in unexpected innovations that change lives.

To challenge and inspire this year’s entrants, applying curiosity will be this year’s Lexus Design Award theme. Lexus welcomes designers from all fields, such as architecture, product design and fashion.

The application period starts today and runs through to October 15, 2013. The 12 winners will be announced in early 2014, and their works will be exhibited during Milan Design Week 2014.

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Call for Entries for Lexus Design Award 2014 Competition

Applications

August 1, 2013–October 15,2013

Judging criteria

• Depth of understanding of the design concepts for the competition and a unique interpretation of those concepts.
• Uniqueness of perspective and originality of solutions proposed under the theme.

• Twelve entries will win awards. The creators of the awarded works will be invited to Milan Design Week 2014.*
• Two entries from the twelve winners will receive up to five million yen each to cover prototype production costs. The designers of the two entries will create prototypes of their award winning designs between January and March 2014 through sessions with two assigned mentors.
• The two prototypes and also panel displays of the other ten winning entries will be exhibited at Lexus Design Amazing 2014 in Milan (a Lexus exhibition space)during Milan Design Week 2014.

At Lexus, we spend a great deal of our time thinking about the serious matter of how to improve our designs and their impact on the world. It is also important that what we produce remains exhilarating for our customers. Applying our curiosity in a creative manner can result in unexpected innovations that change lives.

How we apply curiosity is the theme for the second Lexus Design Award, and one that we hope challenges and inspires this year’s entrants. Lexus welcomes designers from all fields, such as architecture, product design and fashion.

*In the case of individual applicants, the winner will be invited. In the case of group applicants, up to two people will be invited.

Judges:

CuratorPaola Antonelli
Antonelli joined The Museum of Modern Art in 1994 and is a Senior Curator in the Department of Architecture and Design, as well as MoMA's Director of Research and Development. Her first exhibition for MoMA, Mutant Materials in Contemporary Design (1995), was followed by Thresholds. She has lectured the World Economic Forum in Davos, and she has served on several international architecture and design juries. Her goal is to insistently promote understanding of design, until its positive influence on the world is fully acknowledged and exploited. She is currently working on several shows on contemporary design; and on Design Bites, a book about foods from all over the world, appreciated as examples of outstanding design.

CuratorAric Chen
Originally from the United States, Chen is the newly appointed Curator of Design and Architecture at M+, the future museum for visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District of Hong Kong. Before that, he served as Creative Director of Beijing Design Week in 2011 and 2012. He had earlier been an independent curator and design writer in New York, contributing to dozens of publications including The New York Times, Metropolis, Fast Company, Architectural Record, and PIN-UP.

Design CommentatorAlice Rawsthorn
Alice Rawsthorn is the design critic of the International New York Times. Her weekly Design column – published every Monday – is syndicated to other media worldwide. Alice is a trustee of the Whitechapel Gallery and the Michael Clark Dance Company, and chair of trustees at the Chisenhale Gallery. Her latest book, the critically acclaimed “Hello World: Where Design Meets Life”, published by Hamish Hamilton, explores design’s influence on our lives: past, present and future.

ArchitectToyo Ito
Ito graduated from the University of Tokyo, Department of Architecture in 1965. Main Works: Sendai Mediatheque, Tama Art University Library (Hachioji), The Main Stadium for the World Games 2009 in Kaohsiung (Taiwan R.O.C). Under development: Multimedia Complex on the site of Gifu University's School of Medicine (tentative), Taichung Metropolitan Opera House (Taiwan R.O.C), etc. Among his many honors are Architectural Institute of Japan Prize, Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement from the 8th International Architecture Exhibition “NEXT” at the Venice Biennale, Royal Gold Medal from The Royal Institute of British Architects and The Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Chief Editor of designboomBirgit Lohmann
Born in Hamburg. Lohmann studied industrial design in Florence before moving to Milan, where she has lived and worked since 1987. She worked as a designer and product development manager for a number of Italian architects and master designers. She has also worked as a design historian for justice departments and international auction houses. As a researcher and lecturer, she has conducted seminars on industrial design at a number of prestigious international universities. In 1999, she co-founded designboom, where she is currently the Chief Editor, Head of Educational Programming and Curator for International Exhibitions.

Lexus InternationalTokuo Fukuichi,
Lexus International Executive Vice President
Graduated with a bachelor's degree in art and design, from Tama Art University.
He has successfully held various positions in many design related divisions of Toyota Motor Corporation, leading to his current position as the Executive Vice President of Lexus International.

Mentors:

Architect/EngineerArthur Huang
Educated in Cornell University’s B-ARCH and Harvard’s Graduate M-ArchII programs, Huang developed a multi-disciplinary maker-doer ethos at a young age inspired by history, structure engineering and biology. With no industry precedents in sight, he decided to start a company to pioneer the transformation of universally accepted carbon minimizing concepts into physical products/materials. Huang established MINIWIZ in 2005 in New York and in 2006 in Hong Kong. Since then, the company has grown into an international eco-material, building-module and design company.

Game DesignerRobin Hunicke
Robin Hunicke is a game designer and producer, with a background in fine art, computer science and appliedgame studies. Her titles include the award-winning PSN downloadable title, Journey, Steven Spielberg’s Boom Blox series for the Nintendo Wii, MySims, and The Sims2. In the fall of 2012, she co-founded Funomena, an independent game development studio in San Francisco.
Recognized as an influential Woman in Games, Robin is an evangelist for diversity of thought and participation in game design and game culture. She promotes the MDA approach to game design, co-organizes the annual Experimental Gameplay Workshop, has chaired the IndieCade Festival of independent games.

About Lexus
Lexus launched in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since that time, Lexus has expanded its line-up to meet the needs of global luxury customers. In every vehicle, Lexus incorporates innovative technologies, high-quality designs and luxury materials. With numerous models featuring Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader and is dedicated to developing vehicles that are kinder to the Earth. Lexus’ current vehicles incorporate outstanding driving dynamic characteristics and feature a new design language that includes a spindle grille and distinctive lights, creating a signature look and feel for the luxury brand. In the United States, Lexus models are sold through 233 dealers who are committed to exemplary customer service.

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